equatorial circulation to the 1972 El Nino. The response can be divided into 

 five phases. Preceding El Nino, stronger than normal equatorial trade winds 

 cause a buildup of sea-level in the western Pacific in 1970 and 1971. After 

 the wind strength peaks, sea- level begins to drop slowly in the western 

 Pacific. The first collapse of the wind field is followed by high sea-level 

 along the eastern border of the ocean, actually initiating El Nino off Peru. 

 The initial oceanic response seems to consist of an equatorial Kelvin wave, 

 which has been successfully modeled by others, and a strong reduction of the 

 South Equatorial Current. During the third phase sea- level drops very rapidly 

 in the western Pacific, the equatorial trough is being filled, the South Equa- 

 torial Current retreats to the south of the equator, and the Countercurrent 

 intensifies. Then follows a second peak of sea-level along the eastern side 

 of the ocean including the coast of Central America and extremely low sea- 

 level in the western Pacific. Thereafter, conditions return to normal, and 

 sea- level changes are even more rapid than at the onset of El Nino. The 

 development of a weaker event in 1975 is also analyzed, and it is shown that 

 such an event terminates after the second phase. (Author). 



371 WYRTKI, K. 1984. "The Slope of Sea-Level Along the Equator During the 

 1982/1983 El Nino," Journal of Geophysical Research . Vol 89, pp 419-24. 



Observed deviations of monthly mean sea- level at seven island stations 

 along the equator in the Pacific have been superimposed on the mean dynamic 

 topography to determine the variations of the east-west slope of sea surface 

 topography during the 1982/1983 El Nino. The normal east-west slope is elimi- 

 nated in January 1983 when the bulk of warm water flowing eastward has reached 

 the coast of South America. The sea surface remains essentially flat from 

 January to June 1983, although zonal winds are very weak until April only. 

 The slope requires several months to be reestablished, and in October and 

 November, sea- level along the entire equator is 10 cm or more below normal, 

 indicating a net loss of warm, water from the equatorial Pacific. (Author). 



372 YATES, R. J., MILLER, D. E., HALKETT, D. J.. MANHIRE, A. H., 

 PARKINGTON, J. E.. and VOGEL, J. C. 1986. "A Late Mid-Holocene High Sea- 

 Level: A Preliminary Report on Geoarchaeology at Elands Bay, Western Cape 

 Province, South Africa," South African Journal of Science . Vol 82, No. 3, 

 pp 164-165. 



Along the SW Cape coast, mean sea- level was around 2 m higher than at 

 present, 3800 yr BP. Reactive emergence of the continental margins in 

 response to loading of the ocean floor with Late Pleistocene meltwater has 

 been invoked, taking into account rheological constraints. 

 (P.J. Jarvis) 



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